Man Sentenced to Prison for Assaulting Bus Driver Over Mask Request...Court Says "No Remorse"

[Image source=Yonhap News]

[Asia Economy Reporter Lee Jung-yoon] A man in his 50s, who was the first to be detained for assaulting a bus driver demanding mask-wearing, has been sentenced to prison.

According to the court on the 19th, Judge Kim Seul-gi of the Seoul Eastern District Court Criminal Division 7 sentenced A (57), who was indicted on charges of assaulting a driver, injury, and obstruction of business under the Act on the Aggravated Punishment of Specific Crimes, to 1 year and 6 months in prison on the 13th.

A is accused of boarding a village bus at a bus stop in Gwangjin-gu, Seoul, at 2:24 p.m. on June 18, cursing at the bus driver who demanded mask-wearing, and hitting a passenger who tried to stop him. When the bus driver tried to stop him again, A bit his neck, causing injuries requiring two weeks of medical treatment.

A was also indicted for other crimes. On the afternoon of May 31, he cursed and shouted at a foreign woman at a mart in Gwangjin-gu. He spat on and knocked down a clerk who tried to stop him. During this incident, part of the fruit display was broken.

On June 2, he cursed at a pedestrian walking a dog in front of a kindergarten in Gwangjin-gu and swung his fist toward the pedestrian’s face. He also hit another pedestrian who tried to stop him and grabbed and shook their collar. Additionally, in the early morning of the 15th of the same month, he damaged a banner displaying 'COVID-19 Prevention Guidelines' in front of a community center.

The court explained the sentencing, stating, "Considering that he committed multiple crimes in a short period immediately after release, it appears he committed indiscriminate crimes against unspecified people without remorse," and "taking into account that he committed the current crimes during the recidivism period after being punished for similar offenses."

Meanwhile, A was sentenced to 1 year in prison with 2 years of probation in November 2017 for damaging public property. In July 2018, he was sentenced to 8 months in prison with 2 years of probation for obstruction of business and other charges, and in January 2019, during the probation period, he was sentenced to 4 months in prison for public obscenity and other offenses.

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.